18 Days in the New Testament with Chuck SwindollSample

Follow Me

“IF ANY OF YOU WANTS TO BE MY FOLLOWER,” Jesus says in Luke 9:23, “you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” If we really want to follow Jesus Christ, we need to obey the three commands in this verse.

Number one: We must give up our own way. Other Bible versions say that we must “deny ourselves.” Some have erroneously taken this to mean that we must deny ourselves certain pleasures or preferences in life. To some people this seems to mean that we should never own new cars or make a lot of money. They think every believer should look humble and cultivate a weak, nonassertive personality. But that is an inaccurate interpretation. You can look humble and be nonassertive all the time and still not “give up your own way” in the way Jesus intends.

Giving up my own way means saying "no" to what I want and saying "yes" to what He wants. Jesus Christ has the right to rule over me. So when He applies His rulership and leads me in a certain direction, I do not resist and I do not wrestle. I go, I do, I obey. I say no to what I want because He is in charge. He rules my life. I obey Him. I acknowledge that He has the right to rule over me. He is not only Savior, but He is also Lord . . . and as Lord, He’s in charge.

Number two: We must take up our cross daily. The same people who must give up our own way, must now take up a cross every day.

These words had more meaning during the days when crucifixions were common than they do in our day. Back then, a condemned criminal would be forced to carry a cross­beam—a piece of timber that would later be attached to a vertical beam—to the place of execution. Criminals would leave the place where they were condemned, be given a piece of timber to carry on their shoulders, and drag or carry it, if they could, all the way to the execution site. When you saw somebody carrying a crossbeam, you knew it was a ­one ­way trip. You knew that individual’s time was about to end. He or she would die in a public execution. What a word picture for Jesus to use for people who were familiar with that kind of scene!

But there’s even more. To “take up your cross daily” means to die to your own plans and dreams and desires, to die to the pressing demands of your own physical cravings, and to put to death all of your selfish arrangements for living so that Christ has preeminence. It means making Him the One in charge of your life.

Number three: We must follow Him. Let the people follow Jesus who have denied themselves and are taking up their crosses on a daily basis. Once you have denied yourself, you can go in one of several directions. But only one direction is the path of obedience: following wherever Jesus leads.